LAPT5 Punta del Este: Luca clocks out

by Dave Behr on May 27, 2012 1:12 PM

Yesterday we described Argentinian Ivan Luca as "Doc Sands"-like in his deliberateness. That deliberate style of play started to grind on the nerves of some of the other players at the final table. Several times, people requested clocks against Luca - most recently when action folded to Luca in the small blind and he took more than a minute without taking any action.

To be fair, Luca's stack has been dwindling most of the day. The decisions are much harder when they're for your tournament life instead of someone else's. But Luca was perhaps being overindulgent and his opponents started to tire of it.

That deliberate style of play won't be an issue going forward. Luca, down to 401,000 after starting the day near the top of the counts, open-shoved from first position. Francisco Baruffi was next to act and quickly announced "Pago," the Spanish variant of "call". The other three players obligingly folded, leaving Baruffi's A♥J♥ against Luca's Q♣9♣. Both players missed the board entirely, 4♦5♥7♣K♥T♣.

Ivan Luca - 5th place

Luca didn't say much, standing up to receive his fate and then silently offering Baruffi a handshake after the river fell. I'd say time ran out on him, but my erstwhile co-blogger Martin Harris has already snagged that choice turn of phrase earlier in the day. Instead I'll say that it was Luca's time to go. When it's your time to go, it's your time to go.

Luca was the last Argentinian in the field. There were four Argentinians to start the day but the finished in 9th, 8th, 6th and 5th places. The title is going to go to either Brazil or Mexico - or will remain in Uruguay for the second year in a row.